Take Me Home
by zivaisthetype
Summary: Tony and Ziva buy an old house that needs fixing. But is the house the only thing that will need to be fixed?
1. Chapter 1

_I can only hope all of you will enjoy this story! Updates will be every Tuesday (maybe it will fill the gap for an actual episode of NCIS stupid hiatus)._

_Sam_

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Ziva stood outside it at first. The dark red bricks looked healthy _enough_ (maybe just a slight chance the walls would crumble with one hit) the shutters...needed some work...the windows looked like something out of a horror movie and it didn't have a porch that she wanted. Tony had already told her to not focus on the negative. She had tried for his sake, but ever since he mentioned a house, having one without a porch was unheard of in her mind. He promised her one after a lot of complaining and whining that she did when they drove up. _Just give me time, I'll take care of it._ She did always win. He had done an awful lot of convincing the day before today. He told her about a house just outside of the city that was cheap. The trees drowned out any possible noise and if you walked straight through the woods from the back door there would be a lake towards your right. He described it, _it's a longer drive into work but I think we need this._ _I'm telling you Ziva, I think this house is perfect._ Honestly, she had trouble saying no to him already.

Inside, the kitchen was old but clean. The tile needed some work but even she could do that. She almost tore the wallpaper down with her nails when she stepped into the living room. The dark wood floors did take a liking to her. When she walked with her heels the sound echoed through the empty house, bouncing off the walls until it faded and left her alone with the silence. It was peaceful and with more furniture Ziva saw herself reading alone in this room. There was a large window looking back at the woods where beyond was the lake Tony had mentioned before. It would be easy getting lost in a story sitting there. She visioned the piano sitting in the corner and the well required television hanging in the center of the left wall. Tony's movies could be put over there...her bookshelf would have it's own corner...

"I can see you smiling."

Ziva snapped out of her mind and turned to see Tony staring at her from the front door that walked into the living room. Where he stood she knew her rug in the apartment would fit nicely in that small foot space. She tried to contain her joy as much as she could. Admitting he was right was never easy.

"You are not off the hook just yet. I have not seen the upstairs."

She followed him to the bottom of the stairs where he took her hand. Tony led her up the stairs towards the largest empty room. The hinges on the door had a high-pitched hiss to them but before she could say anything, "Nothing a little oil isn't going to fix. Now look!" He grabbed her shoulders and held her body so she could see the entire room. It would be their room. She saw everything perfectly. The way he was holding her told Ziva he could see it too.

"It is..."

"I know don't say it." Tony left her side and headed for the windows. "These will maybe need replacing." He hesitated tapping on the cracked glass but did it anyways. She swore the thing almost shattered. "Well, I'll definitely replace them. All the windows are pretty much like that... but I can get Timmy over here and help with some handy work...he's always talking about those stupid elf games and some man stuff would do him some good. Gibbs is always working on something in that damn basement I bet I could get him to fix up the shutters outside and Abby will help you with all the unpacking. She could stand to burn off some of that energy..."

He continued talking but she blocked him out. He was now walking around the room, pointing and turning and planning. The smile on his face hadn't left since the moment they drove up the long, gravel driveway and saw the very house they stood in now. She hadn't felt her smile fade neither. There was no need for convincing now, it was already theirs.

"Tony."

He was still talking. His name hadn't even phased him.

"Tony!" She said it louder and this time he faced her. His voice faded and she didn't talk until he had completely finished. "First, the wallpaper downstairs has to go."

"Ziva, I already told you I'm going to take care of everything. Before we both know it this house will be fixed up by winter and there will be normal wallpaper downstairs that doesn't make us look hundreds of years old and we'll shine the wood floors..."

"You did not let me finish." She laughed. She had never seen Tony this anxious or compulsive. His excitement was growing on her and his face practically screamed, begging her for mercy to let him keep this house for the both of them.

"Ms. David, would you do me the honor of telling me how much you are in love with this home I picked out for us?" He read her like an open book.

"I do love it very much."

If at all possible, the curve on the corner of his lips sharpened. He ran over to her and held her by the waist. "Ziva David are you ready to live in this house with me for the rest of your life?"

"You better not forget about my porch."

"Wouldn't even dream about it." He leaned in and kissed her. She could taste his happiness on his lips and feel the excitement in his body. He let go of her way to soon and bolted for the stairs leaving her standing alone in their new room. Ziva turned, allowing herself to see everything. The wallpaper wasn't so bad. It almost impressed her compared to the down stairs. Scrubbing the floors was inevitable but the windows would need the most work. She looked out one that faced the endless driveway. They were completely excluded and it felt rather peaceful. As she turned to leave the cold fall breeze blew hard from outside and she felt a cold draft blow through the cracked windows. They rattled slightly, making an unusual racket but then came to a quiet and sudden stop. The silence was eerie and it swallowed the room so fast it made her want to turn around and run. Ziva shivered before Tony's voice interrupted the trance. "Come on babe we have to pack!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Posting the new chapter a little earlier today since I will be away from my laptop tomorrow . *sobs quietly* Enjoy!_

_-Sam_

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Boxes after boxes came into the new house. Tony stacked them one by one as Ziva unpacked and moved some into empty rooms she discovered around, especially upstairs. She found one room that called her out rather unexpectedly. The door stuck but with two or three firm kicks the heavy door swung open with the same annoying squeak that all the doors in the house opened with. The room was unusually vacant except for a box, similar to the one she was carrying, collecting dust under the only window lighting up the room. She set down her box filled with purposeless items like Tony's old OSU basketball trophies he still hadn't let go of yet and her childhood ballet tapes that he had made her keep.

Ziva dove into the abandoned box, curiosity at a high point.

She grabbed the only stack of pictures. It was a shame that the previous homeowners had left them there since they were such beautiful photos of their family. The more she looked through them the more she craved to know them. They seemed so..._happy_. Ziva smiled before taking them with her, leaving the useless box in the useless room that she would deal with later.

"Tony." She called, walking downstairs. The crates and boxes were stacking higher than she would've liked. There was a high uncertainty that they would be completely unpacked by the end of the week when both her and Tony were back at work from their small vacation they took off for their new home.

"In the kitchen Ziva."

She walked in with the box and found him half way under the sink and legs sprawled across the tile floor. "I decided fixing the sink is my first project." He mumbled from inside the cupboards.

"I think your next project should be all the doors. I may go insane if I have to hear another squeal from the hinges." She set the box on the kitchen table they both carried in earlier. "I found something upstairs."

"One...second..."

She heard the wrench squeak against the pipes and him sigh relief when he had finally finished. He came out from underneath the sink and smiled. "All fix. Let me see that."

She handed him the pictures. When he flipped through them he looked confused, which bothered her. She wasn't sure why since they were strangers. They weren't the family they bought the house from and they meant nothing to Tony and Ziva. Still, Tony's face bothered her.

"They are a family." She tried to clarify.

"Yeah, I see that." He held them in his hand nonchalantly. "Can I throw them out?"

She sighed loudly and snatched them back. "I will do it." But she didn't because she liked them and they intrigued her. She kept them in her bookcase Tony had slid in the living room.

Later that day they went for a drive away from the city. Tony refused to have a mixture of his furniture and her furniture all in one house. _It would sure make this home feel a lot like ours if we bought some furniture together, ya'know?_ He explained early in bed this morning. With Ziva's difficulty to say no to him ever she had to comply, on one condition; they didn't do their shopping in D.C. She was getting pleasantly used to listening to the breeze and the birds chirping as they flew south for winter. A trip into the city would only ruin it.

They drove up onto a small town that neither of them cared to even know the name of. It was an ugly, little town that Ziva felt uncomfortable in. She was the one who insisted on this type of experience so biting her lip and bucking up seemed only logical. Tony found a small store that looked rather promising and maybe one of the nicer looking buildings in this no-name town. Walking in, Ziva immediately took a fascination to a couch in a corner that looked like it hadn't been touched in a decade. It was a burgundy that didn't come close to matching the wallpaper in the living room which made Ziva desire it more. It was strangely perfect and half-priced.

Tony and the store manager hauled it into the back of their truck along with a wood table that had a dark tint to it and matched well with their flooring. They drove back home with bigger smiles than before. Unloading and placing the pieces was no problem and as soon as things were set, at least in the living room, Tony sat down and relaxed. Ziva went to hand him the remote with a small kiss on the cheek and a breezy whisper in his ear. Dangling the TV controller in his face she gave him a few choices:

"We could watch a movie...or break this couch in with some one on one.."

He slapped the remote away and grabbed her body with one swift motion that brought Ziva to giggles. He gently laid her on the cushions taking off her shirt and kissing every inch of her bare stomach. And when his shirt came off she felt excited feeling the familiar arch of his back and hard shoulder bones. He ended up carrying her body up the stairs occasionally bumping into the walls. She kissed him harder each time and by the time they managed to get upstairs Ziva was almost too tired from laughing.

She slept nicely that night. Tony promised her the wallpaper would come down tomorrow and the silence had been broken by his heavy breathing and his low, husky whispers in her ear.


	3. Chapter 3

_Happy Tuesday! Love the follows and reviews I've been getting. Keep them coming guys and thank you!_

_-Sam_

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When she woke up she smelled the aroma of pancakes. Ziva slipped on some shorts and found one of Tony's old T Shirts in a box they still hadn't unpacked and found him downstairs humming quietly at the stove. Ziva loved watching him. She never really thought he was sad before but being in this house made him happier than he already was. She felt that way too. Like something was missing inside them and now it was filled. All they really needed was something permanent where not just one of them felt at home, but both.

"Good morning." She finally said.

"Morning." His smile was as bright as the sun outside. He finished his last pancake and set a plate out for her and they both ate side by side at their table. It was odly domestic but she knew it would be easy to get used to.

"We should takf a walff down to the lakff." He seemed to do a 180 turn from making her breakfast to talking with his mouth full all in less than ten minutes.

"That sounds nice." She smiled, "It will be nice to relax after unpacking for the last three days."

"You weren't relaxed last night?" Tony's grin was from ear to ear.

"Well," she smirked looking down at her food like some sort of nervous teenage girl, "There's still a lot of unpacking to do."

He grabbed her hand from across the table. They looked like they belong in some sort of 50's black-and-white TV show.

She dug through at least two boxes of Tony's suits, hanging them up as she went, until her sweaters and jeans were found. Tony found his casual clothes immediately, probably because most of the clothing boxes belonged to him.

It was a breezy autumn day but the sun shined as bright as summer time. Tony and Ziva walked hand in hand through the woods only listening to the cracking of the leaves between the ground and their feet. More birds flew over the sky and the trees moved with the breeze. The lake, if possible, was more beautiful than the woods. The water was the perfect shade of blue and the waves sounded relaxing hitting against the shore line. There was a dock that went out a few feet into the water.

"Is it safe?" Ziva asked. Tony was experimenting with the dock. He cautiously put one foot up and then the next. It made and awful sounding _creak_ that reminded her of the doors back inside the house.

"Tony be careful."

"Ziva, I can swim."

She rolled her eyes at him as Tony gently took his first steps. When he reached the end he decided to jump to check for sturdiness. Ziva almost had a small heart attack. He walked back over to her and held out his hand.

"Come on babe, I think it's fine."

"You _think_."

"Trust me."

And trust him she did. They walked out to the dock, Ziva clinging on Tony's shoulder the entire way. Once they were at the end she felt confident enough to leave his side and take off her shoes. The water was cold.

"I hope it gets warmer in the summer." She commented when Tony put his bare feet in the water next to hers.

"I know, I would like to take a swim or two." He grinned at her. Ziva punched him in the shoulder then kissed it after to apologize.

They stayed there all day with the occasional walk back to the house for food or a bathroom break, but they both stayed. Stayed until sunset, which was radiant when you watched from the end of the dock. When the water had swallowed up the sun and they were left in darkness Ziva whispered to him.

"There are plenty of spare rooms upstairs..." It was an odd way of starting a conversation but Ziva wanted to have it. He didn't move her head from his shoulder and when he spoke he spoke to the dark water.

"For what?" He knew for what. She knew, he knew for what.

"Maybe...children."

"Okay..."

"Okay? That's all you have to say?" They were both still talking out towards the water. He didn't want to move because everything had been perfect before.

"Ziva we talked about this." He whispered like people were around to hear.

"Yeah we did," she was mad now and she didn't want her head to be resting on his shoulder. Ziva stated at him until Tony reluctantly stared back. "We have our house that is plenty big. Our jobs our stable, there is a school near the office..."

"We aren't even unpacked yet Ziva. It doesn't even feel like a real home yet, not until those boxes are gone."

"We can work on that all week. Abby is coming over tomorrow..."

"What about the windows and how cold the house is all the time? I still have to fix that."

"Tim and Gibbs can come over tomorrow and help you. We can get all this little stuff done in a month."

Ziva's eyes begged him. She didn't know why he was having such a hard time wrapping his head around the idea. They had talked about it before and he seemed a lot more excited about the idea then than he was now.

Tony ended up smiling in the dark. "Does this mean I'm going to have to ask you to marry me in the next month or two?"

She began to feel warm with happiness. Ziva grabbed his face and kissed him hard and pulled away fast with a "Thank you, Tony." And he just smiled and kissed her back because he would do anything for her.

They stayed there even longer after that, snuggled up so close to each other that neither of them were cold. You could see the stars better in this sky rather than back in the city. It was a view Ziva never wanted to leave until Tony convinced her to walk back with him to the house. He had to call McGee and try to get a hold of Gibbs for tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

_All of you who review make me so happy! Thank you for the support and love. I hope you all can enjoy the drama that unfolds this chapter. _

_-Sam_

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Abby was over first. She walked inside like the whole house was made of glass. She glided her fingers over all their new furniture and stared out the back window where Ziva liked to read. Her exploring took half the day, not to mention all the questions she asked about this and that. Ziva expected nothing less. And she did eventually finish to meet back with her two friends with a smile slapped across her face and her arms open. "You guys have a home!" Like she needed to yell it to the world to actually believe it. It was okay, Tony and Ziva both loved hearing it.

"Wow. An actual house. Both of you. Together." She couldn't contain her happiness any longer and Abby attacked both Tony and Ziva in one of her tight grasps she liked to call hugs. The hug seemed longer than waiting for Abby to finish wandering around the house. And when she did let go she was eager and more happier than before. "Okay, I'm all ready to help."

"Lets finish unpacking upstairs." Ziva suggested, "Tony is going to look for some oil to grease the door hinges." Ziva shot him a look. "Like he promised." It was a command and Tony obeyed.

They started in the small bathroom upstairs. It was a tight squeeze but Abby was doing a great job of speeding things up for Ziva. Tony was right on point when he described the goth's ability to hold so much energy. They did lots of stuff like scrub the counters and unpack little nick-nacks that bathrooms always had like toothbrush holders and cute soap dispensers Ziva had taken from her apartment. She never had to deal with silence; Abby happily took care of that. "Seriously Ziva, this is the cutest house I have ever seen. I might have to come over more often now that I know where it is. I was unsure driving down that driveway. It just keep going on forever and ever and _ever_..."

When they finished, the bathroom looked like a bathroom and Ziva only wished the rest of the house looked that way. Instead, the house looked like some sort of warehouse...for boxes. So the two continued to attack every corner of the house, occasionally running into Tony oiling the hinges on the doors. The girls joked at him about his tool belt and Tony's face immediately flushed with red as soon as they did. Ziva actually thought it was cute but wouldn't say it out loud until Abby was gone. The jokes made Tony finish the upstairs quicker and soon he was running downstairs to escaped their wrath.

So with nothing left to joke at, Abby and Ziva shifted their attention to the bedroom. They quickly dove into the boxes of clothes. The cleaning was going by fast when Abby suddenly stopped. She seemed absolutely stunned, like a deer in headlights. She was looking around now like a child in a candy store. Ziva just stared at her friend, wondering what the hell she could be doing.

"Ziva this is it." Abby suddenly said. "This room is perfect for you two. Just think, you'll be making babies in this. Very. Room."

"Abby...can we not talk about that..." Ziva hid her smile well though. Because they would be. She was going to get her family.

"The wallpaper may need...well it might...I would honestly just change it."

Ziva laughed at this. "It is surprisingly better than the walls down in the living room." She took another look around, "but I am inclined to agree with you."

"Ziva!" They heard Tony call from downstairs. "McGee's here!"

"Tim! I'm going to go down and see him real quick. I will be right back." Abby informed her.

"Just tell them I will be right down. I am going to hang our last box of clothes." Ziva explained and with a nod and a small jump Abby was running down stairs to see her partner in crime.

It was strange when Ziva began to feel the breeze. And she was getting chills again and the goosebumps were slowly appearing with every second she spent in the room alone. It happened so quick...right as Abby had left. Maybe she had been too focused on Abby's talking before and now that it was silent...

She was having trouble believing that. Now she was struggling to even attempt to hang the clothes.

Ziva left them and walked up to the window to try and shut it. She remembered Tony shutting them last night so her effort was all but useless. Still, Ziva felt the draft. And the silence; she couldn't even hear her friend's voices from downstairs. She wanted to ignore it and go back and finish the clothes, but why would she do that? She was walking around the room now and feeling the walls and trying to figure out anywhere that stupid breeze was coming from. The more she looked the louder the silence grew. She was frustrated and defeated.

McGee's voice could now be heard and the draft vanished like nothing. She was questioning it now. Had there even been a breeze? The room was fine, windows were as closed shut. It was only her and silence now.

Ziva left the room, refusing to be alone in there any moment longer. The clothes could wait until both her and Abby were unpacking together.

McGee met Ziva with a hug and a compliment. "The house is beautiful Ziva. I couldn't be happier for you two." She hugged him again after that. Ziva was happy to be down here with him, Tony and Abby. It was better than being alone. She hadn't been doing well with being alone lately.

"Is Gibbs coming over?" She asked Tony once her and McGee were done admiring the house and talking about the move.

"Boss said he's working on something with Vance." Tony said, sounding distracted.

"What are they working on?"

"Beats me. He said he was going to read me in later."

"Just _you_?" She was offended.

"I don't _know_ Ziva. Can we just focus on finishing the move?"

Abby tugged at Ziva's arm, pulling her upstairs to finish the bedroom while the boys finished the furniture and tore down the wallpaper that reminded Ziva of throw-up. They finished fast and were able to sit around the kitchen table and eat some of Ziva's famous lasagna and laugh and talk and be friends in a house that was homely and perfect.

They waved to Abby and McGee and watch them each drive down the gravel driveway before they disappeared and Tony and Ziva were left staring in the darkness holding each other. Tony kissing her cheek was the cherry on top of the perfect domestic scene that she wished would have lasted forever. She felt warm even though they were outside in the late autumn breeze. It was most definitely warmer than their room which always felt raw and icy.

"I know what Vance and Gibbs are doing." Tony admitted to her as they stood in the darkness. It couldn't be perfect all the time.

"Are we going to have to go back to work early?" She didn't want to, at all. It was perfect here with Tony. They were talking about marriage and children and having sex without any worries of waking their neighbors next door. And God, she just loved everything about the past three stress-less days just working on the house one box at a time. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and dug his face into her shoulder.

"Not you. You are going to stay here and invite Abby and McGoo over everyday after they are done working and finish this whole moving thing quickly just like we want."

It was not the answer she had been looking for. "Where are you going?"

"Vance is sending Boss and me to Mexico tomorrow night because..."

"Wait, Mexico?" She faced him now. Her face was getting red. "Why?"

"Some navy officers got caught up with the local Cartel and SecNav wants some agents down there..."

"That sounds dangerous Tony."

"Well when I signed up to be a _cop_ I didn't exactly to expect everything to be safe."

Ziva put her head on his shoulder. She wasn't ready to give up but it was nice listening to him breath for a few moments. She liked the way he sounded and how tight he held her and the fact that he was here and she had him and she wasn't alone anymore.

"Why am I not going?"

"I...I told Gibbs that I...I don't want you there."

Ziva pulled away from his grip. "What?"

"I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here."

"Tony I am going with you." And that was how she was going to end it so she began storming towards the front door until he grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She didn't know whether to be scared or completely pissed off. And she wasn't sure why she felt the way she did. Tony risked his life everyday, with or without her. There hadn't been a problem before.

"Ziva we have this house now. You love this house. I won't be gone for long, three days tops I promise. I'm begging you to stay here and be safe."

Now she was just pissed off. He made her boil and she whipped her hand away from his useless grip. And she yelled because he was being a stupid idiot and she was trying to remember how she dealt with him before today. "_I_ need you safe! Good things do not happen for us in Mexico, Tony."

"God Ziva, you aren't listening to me!" He was yelling now too. Nothing else made a noise. It was like the birds and the bugs and the wind all stopped to listen quietly at what their new house owner's recent developed drama.

"I heard you just fine! You and Gibbs are going to Mexico! Fucking Mexico, Tony! To deal with the _Cartel_. And I won't be there if something goes wrong and I won't be there if something happens to you!" Jesus, she was crying now. She was being too weak and too emotional but Tony was crying now too and it made her feel better.

And suddenly he was just walking towards her. Ziva didn't want to touch him but as soon as he held her she melted into him almost too easily. Her face was in his shirt and she had immediately calmed down as soon as Tony's arms were completely around her body. He brushed through her hair with his fingers and kissed the top of her head gently until it was safe to talk.

"You...are my entire future." He whispered. "It's selfish and hypocritical, I know, but you're not going because it's too dangerous. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you. I can't...I won't be able to do it, Ziva. I know I won't."

"I can take care of my..."

He hushed her with his finger. "Shut up, Ziva. I know you can. Hell, you can probably take care of both of us better than me but I'm asking you to just. Stay. Here."

His eyes were pleading with her, even in the dark. They shined bright green when the moon hit them just right. She even saw the tears at one point. She didn't understand any of it. Why he was going, why he wouldn't let her come, what made him think that having her tag along would be anything but good. Nothing made sense. She was stunned and shocked and angry and sad and so thankful to have someone that cared about her this much.

She couldn't tell him no anymore. She had tried and she had failed. It meant too much to him; his job, _her_, their future...

He was going, she was staying.

"Three days." She whispered, trying to accept it. "Three days."

"At the most. Boss said it could be two. I'm sure it will be two. Me and Gibbs work well, we should be able to wrap things up quick so I can get home and fix those windows and build you a porch."

She smiled at this because the porch wouldn't be put in until spring but at least he remembered their deal. And she pictured watching him fix the drafty windows and her running around trying to find the right curtains to put where and what wallpaper would go nicely with them. She could last two or three days without her humble visions of domestic life with Tony. The days would fly by especially with her other two best friends constantly visiting.

"Lets go inside and get warm." He suggested, throwing his arm over her shoulder and walking them into the house.

They made love that night. She never felt cold with her body pressed against his. The silence wasn't loud with Tony next to her, arms holding her securely to him. His breaths against the back of her neck helped her get to sleep fast and she slept through the night having his body near her's.


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry about the late post! I had a very eventful day today which usually doesn't happen. Hope you enjoy the chapter of fluff!_

_-Sam_

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She sat on their bed wrapped in the sheets just watching him. He took out clothes she had just put in the closet yesterday to stuff them in a suitcase. She noticed how he looked at her every time he moved from closet to suitcase, closet to suitcase...but she never cared to look back. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't mad anymore, just disappointed. She was going to tell him this morning when they were laying in bed for hours, wrapped in each other's bodies and thoughts and voices. She didn't. Maybe she wanted him to feel bad, maybe he already knew she had forgiven him. Maybe not.

He finished packing, clapped his hands together and smiled the best smile he possibly could. "How about we get dressed and go for a walk?"

The woods were still full of life even before winter. It was never silent. Almost all the trees were completely dead but those that had hung on were filled with squirrels and birds trying to prepare for the cold months ahead. Ziva thought that her and Tony should have been doing the same. The house wasn't very warm to begin with. Why were they even on this walk in the first place? Both of them should be inside working. Winter wasn't far away, more close. His procrastination was infuriating. Last night also made her cringe, and today. Especially today.

"You think McGee could fix the windows while you are away?" Ziva snapped.

"I won't be gone that long."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes I know. But the house is freezing and it won't be getting any warmer..."

"I swear to you I'll take care of it. All of it." Tony promised. "Lets not talk about this anymore."

She refused to say anything after that. He found her hand and held onto it.

He made it so hard for her to just pout. To protest. To not smile. To really be angry. He did stupid stuff like hold her hand when she was angry. The worst part about it was that it made her feel better and want to forgive him more.

She had to admit she could have stayed that way forever. Walking forever and holding him the entire time. They kicked leaves around like children and now Tony was making a pile. And she hadn't even decided if she was still pouting or not when he took her by the waist and threw her body into the leaves. Ziva was proud to say she took him down with her. They rolled in the leaves as he kissed her and she kissed back. The disappointment dawned upon her when she realized she needed her layers of clothes to keep her warm. Tony was the one who cared less. He stripped off his sweatshirt. Ziva began laughing on his lips and pushed him off.

"Tony." She smiled and grabbed his sweatshirt to put it back on his body. He protested, refusing to help her.

"What Ziva, there isn't anyone out here to watch." He leaned and kissed her again. She tried not giggle while putting his clothes back on.

"It is cold out here. I am cold."

"I'll keep you warm." This kiss was almost too much.

Ziva grabbed his wrist, lips still locked, and checked the time on his watch. She pulled away and showed him the clock. "There is only an hour before your flight!"

Tony jumped to his feet with a mumbled _Shit_ and pulled Ziva with him. They ran back to the house, grabbed the suitcase and the keys. Without changing they headed toward the car.

"I better drive." Ziva suggested taking the keys from Tony and stuffing him in the passenger seat.

The airport was an estimated forty-five minutes away. Ziva got them there in an impressive thirty, with D.C. traffic. She ran with him in the airport, got the tickets and sent his bag away for Mexico. Gibbs was waiting in front of security with a scowl on his face but welcomed Ziva's hug with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Congratulations on the house." He said to her after Ziva finally broke the hug.

"Thank you Gibbs." Her smile was only half and it was for a good reason. Gibbs knew.

"I'm sorry to pull him away so soon."

"It is...okay."

He smiled at her and waved Ziva over to Tony to say goodbye. There wasn't a lot of time but Ziva held onto him for a while. He stood there with his head dug into her hair that smelled like leaves and happiness. He kissed her gently before pulling away.

"You look like crap DiNozzo." Gibbs told him, referring to his clothes covered in dirt and leaves from the woods. Tony just smiled proudly. He waved to Ziva when he went through security. Gibbs left her with a small kiss on the forehead and a promise she prayed he would keep.

"I'll bring him back safe, Ziver."

"I know, Gibbs."

Ziva stared through security even after both of them had disappeared. She felt uncomfortable being alone and hoped when she got home it would feel different. She missed him already, craved his touch, wished for his voice whispering in her ear again. It was only three days. _Might even be two_ she heard him say. She thought about today and how she wished tomorrow would be the same, but knew it wouldn't be. Soon, though, she hoped. He would be back because he always came back for her. Ziva counted on him, he knew that. He counted on her too.

While walking out, Ziva realized how fast the day had really gone. She had forgotten to tell him that she had forgiven him.


	6. Chapter 6

_I apologize for all the short chapters the past two weeks. I love your reviews keep them coming!_

_-Sam_

* * *

Her first day by herself she woke up on the couch in the clothes from the day before that still smelled like dirt, leaves, and Tony. She remembered being too exhausted to try and attempt making the climb up the stairs last night. She also remembered how much she loathed going upstairs alone. But sleeping on the couch couldn't happen again. Her back was sore and she struggled to get up.

When she finally did she saw rain pouring down outside from her big window in the back of the room. The day was miserable but perfect for inside. The only drawback was McGee and Abby not being there. She refused to make them drive out to the house in bad weather like this. She didn't even bother to call.

Ziva started with a shower. Trying not to miss Tony was hard enough but having his scent covering her body made it almost impossible. She was thankful the water was warm today. It had been cold her first day here; Ziva hadn't realized Tony got around to fixing it. It was like he was still here with her, making sure she got through the morning okay.

The bookshelf and the two boxes full of novels were the first things on her list. She dragged the shelf over to the window until she was sure it was perfect before the books began piling one by one onto each rack. Ziva flipped through pages and smiled at her favorites and remembered the peaceful, rainy days like this one she spent getting lost in the books she held. The shelf was almost full when she noticed the pictures from the empty room upstairs. She traded them with her books and flipped through them again, still interested in the family that had left them behind. Now she was distracted.

The one with the dog and two children was her favorite. Tony had never been a big animal person but Ziva always thought she would have enjoyed a dog if she had one. Maybe when they had a child she would say something to Tony. Talk about the extra protection of the house; it would be a good thing when they were out working. The house would seem less empty, especially in her situation now. She think she would prefer a black dog. He would be on the big side but friendly and gentle. And the dog would cuddle with her in their bed when Tony went away for long trips and she would never really be alone again.

Ziva looked up from the pictures. She hated getting distracted. It was her opportunity to finish the little things that would bring the house together and she was only wasting it. So she set the pictures aside and finished filling the shelf with books. It looked nice...a little dusty. That's when she began to dust. It made the wood shine brighter and the air smell cleaner.

She washed the windows on the inside, only the inside, because the rain would take care of the outside. And she scrubbed the tiles in the kitchen until it was a regular white color. And she put all their dishes in the cupboards where she liked them and found a tablecloth to drape across the table where they ate breakfast yesterday. She found places for all the groceries they bought in town days before and organized the fridge so it was easier to find things. The stove was scrubbed and the counters were wiped down and when she was all done Ziva stood back and admired her job. She could hear Tony now.

_Wow Ziva, kitchen looks perfect. Perfect for you to cook me some of those pancakes you made the other morning. Oh, they were so good. You know, the ones with the blueberries?_

She would cook it for him because she liked her pancakes too. And because she loved him.

Ziva went back to the pictures. Her curiosity was all too powerful to keep her away from this family. She felt closer to them, almost like she knew them the more she studied their forgotten pictures. There was one with a boy on a swing set. She recognized the tree in the background from her and Tony's walk yesterday. This led her to stand at the window and study the outside.

It was raining hard and it had gotten dark but there it was. The tree was orange and brown now, but the one that belonged in the picture was definitely the same. No swing set though. The family dared not to leave anything behind when they moved out. Not even the swing set that seemed awfully large for a moving van.

Her phone was ringing now.

"Tony?" She answered it.

"Yeah Ziva it's me."

God his voice was amazing. She missed it now.

"How was your flight?"

"Long. Glad we're here now."

"What about...the case?"

There was a long pause. It made her nervous. She didn't hear Gibbs in the back of the line and nothing dared move in the house. There she was, surrounded by silence once more.

"Oh you know, it's a case I guess. We'll be done by tomorrow for sure." He didn't say much about it. That bugged her but she poked no more. She wanted to, but she didn't. There was no reason to fight over the phone. It was just a relief to have something break the silence.

"How is the house? It hasn't burned down without me there I hope." Tony joked when Ziva was suddenly out of things to say.

"No. I believe it would be you to burn down the house unsupervised."

"Yeah, you're probably right. That's why I have you though."

She wish he could have saw her smile. "I actually cleaned up the kitchen and living room pretty good. It looks livable now. You just need to fix..."

"The windows, I know."

Neither of them talked much after that. Listening to each other's breaths through the speakers was good enough, if not better, than small talk and limited conversation on how their day went without one another. It was pointless, both of them knew, so they settled on breathing. She was glad she could hear him at least. She leaned against the wall, perfectly in tune with him. Ziva closed her eyes. It was the most relaxed she had felt all day.

She wondered what he was thinking or even doing. She tried listening to the background noise but there was nothing better than listening to him instead. But still, she would have loved to be there with him rather than thousands of miles away. Maybe he and Gibbs were getting their room at the hotel. Or maybe they were already starting on the case. Tony did say Gibbs wanted this job to be a quick one. God knows Ziva does too. They both could be heading out to a bar before tomorrow for cheap beer. Whatever Tony was doing Ziva knew she missed him. It had only been one day and she already craved him back. This would have been a good time for her to explain her forgiveness, but Tony cut her off before she said anything.

"Ziva, I better go now."

"Alright."

"I love you."

"I love you too."


	7. Chapter 7

_I'm sure everyone is still deeply sadden by Cote de Pablo's announcement that she will not be returning to NCIS (I'm so sorry if you didn't know that and I broke the news). I can make no promises that the story will be full of fluff and happiness here on out but I hope that you guys will still enjoy!_

_-Sam_

* * *

Sleep didn't come to her that night. It started off with the usual toss and turn, fluffing the pillow and maybe getting up for a glass of water or three. After none of that worked in her favor, Ziva stared up at the ceiling to think. It didn't help. The more and more she thought everything got worse. It was lonely. She was lonely.

Ziva turned to her side and studied Tony's side of the bed. The mattress was shaped to his body and the pillow looked worn out from his sleeping. She imagined him turning to his side the way he did before he would fall asleep. Tony always ended up sleeping on his back but he made an effort to look at her every night before bed. She smiled at that. She missed it already. She missed him.

Ziva turned away from where he used to sleep and stared out the window on the other side of the room. She was freezing but had already tried sealing the air up earlier that night when she went for water. Nothing seemed to work. The draft was always there and Tony was the only one who seemed to be able to shut it successfully. Everything in this house seemed better with him in it. She hadn't put her finger on it yet, but when he was absent the house seemed like nothing. Like she was living in an empty, lonely space.

The autumn wind was picking up outside and the room temperature was dropping. The rain had not come close to letting up either. She pulled the covers up to her face and curled up into her body. It wasn't easy getting warm when she was the only body laying in their bed.

Ziva eventually ended up sleeping in the hollow of his body dented into the mattress. It felt more right and more warm.

She slept, but not well.

Nightmares. Lots of them. It was strange, Ziva never remembered having nightmares like these. She had had them, of course, especially from what she had been through. But they were never like this. Never where she felt she couldn't escape. Couldn't wake up whenever she wanted. It was like she didn't know it was a dream. Like it was real life.

Ziva was running. She felt scared. Something was chasing her and seemed too fast to outrun. It was approaching fast. Faster and faster she ran. Nothing helped because when it caught her she was trapped. In a room, she realized. A locked room. No doors, no windows, no drafts. Alone again.

All she could do was scream.

And scream.

And then she was awake.

She sat up too fast, breathing too hard, and sweating too much. She turned to the clock in a panic.

Seven in the morning.

She recalled what Tony had told her in the car on the way to the airport. _You can sleep in while I'm gone too. No getting up early to make me breakfast because I won't stop wining like a child. _

_I don't mind it Tony, you are _my_ child._

She ignored the advice. She couldn't stand being alone in this bed for much longer. Or was it the room this time? The lines were blurring.

Her first thought was to get breakfast (just like she did for Tony every morning) but her appetite was absent. Instead she found her way to the door of the empty room. It stuck again but she opened it with a little more effort.

It was musty and made her want to cough. She wondered whether it would be a room worth cleaning but it wasn't like she was in the mood for cleaning today. Ziva approached the window which was nice and clear from the rain that still hadn't stopped yet. Her intention had been seeing Tony running up the wet gravel toward the house when she first peered through the window. Now it was _look at the rain hit the trees that were almost dead and watching the yard flood_. Ziva tried to find the sight relaxing. She made an effort to rest her elbows on the windowsill and her face in her hands and really tried to forget how much she missed Tony and maybe focus on something like the rain.

That worked as well as Abby without her Caf-Pow in the morning.

She was ready to give up when she heard a loud _crash_ swallow up her house. Something told her to hide. To run away. To get away now. But there was nowhere to go. No person to go find. And it dawned on her yet again that she was alone in this house, still. There was another loud _boom_ that brought her to her knees. She covered her ears and crouched beneath the window. She needed something to save her. Someone to hold her.

The walls started to spin when she tried to get up. She remained down, huddled with her knees pressed to her chest and hands over her ears. The last thing she remembered was the flash of light from outside and one last crack of thunder before falling back into sleep.

"Ziva." She heard him say. She felt his hands on her face and the whisper in her ear and then she was back. Back from wherever she had been before.

Seeing Tony as she woke up was something she had been looking forward to for the past few days. It was almost too shocking to believe. Was it really him? And it was. And she was smiling, she felt it. But he wasn't. He looked more bothered than anything.

"Ziva what are you doing in here?"

She stared at him with blank eyes. What the hell was he talking about? She was where he left her for Mexico. Alone in a house.

"Ziva, why are you laying on the floor in here? Get up."

Only when he helped her to her feet did she finally accept that she had been sleeping on the floor in the empty room. It was bright, she realized. She had slept away the whole second day of Tony's absence, plus the night.

"Have you been crying?"

She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. Had she? And she had. She still was actually. The tears were as plain as day on her finger tips.

"I must have been."

"Are you okay, babe?"

She felt how concerned he was through his touch. She didn't know whether to feel grateful or worried. She didn't know if she was okay or not. She decided to nod. This way Tony wouldn't worry so much and neither would she.

"Yeah...yeah I am fine." She noticed him again. He really was home. "You are here. I am great now."

Ziva tried to kiss him but he didn't really kiss back. He was still worried so she tried changing the subject quickly.

"You are home early."

"Yeah...yeah I am. You know how Gibbs gets when jobs don't get done fast." Tony explained taking her hand. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Tony, I am fine. I must have been tired from cleaning yesterday or something."

He still didn't look too sure but played her game anyway. "Ya'know, I think Gibbs missed that basement of his a little too much while we were in Mexico."

She laughed and kissed him again but only shortly because he started dragging her away.

"How about we go downstairs?"

And they did. Tony saw the kitchen the first.

"Wow Ziva, kitchen looks perfect. Perfect for you to cook me some of those pancakes you made the other morning. Those were so good. You know the ones with the blueberries?"

Ziva stared. How was she suppose to respond? She was blank and confused once again.

"Unless you're not up to it." Tony quickly added.

"No, I would be glad to actually."

She cooked quietly. Tony was just as silent. She was half expecting him to talk about the mission and brag about how quickly they finished because of his special agent detective work. Maybe he would tell her stories that made her smile or an exciting one that would get her interested. She wouldn't feel so alone with him talking to her, she would feel better.

Ziva had nothing to say. It wasn't like anything interesting had happened to her the past two days, and she was still a little confused from waking up in a ball, crying on the floor. So no, she would not be the one to talk this morning.

She finished the blueberry pancakes and made plates to set in front of each of them. She sat down and began eating.

"Did Abby or McGee ever make it over here?"

Ziva shook her head no, swallowing another bite. Her stomach was desperate for food. She hadn't eaten at all yesterday.

"Seems kinda lonely."

_Yeah it was._ She didn't answer, just kept eating. Tony didn't eat, just kept staring.

"I'm going to go watch TV." He said to replace Ziva's answer. He hadn't even touched his plate, Ziva noticed, even after all that begging he had done for it.

He was almost out of the kitchen when Ziva finally gave in.

"Tony, come back here."

He only looked back at her with an expression that she didn't know how to read.

"Tell me about Mexico."

He carelessly walked back to his chair and sat down to only shrug and say, "Wasn't anything, really."

If there had ever been a time for Tony DiNozzo to brag about himself to her it would be now and he threw away the chance like nothing. He had his chance to talk about Mexico and the Cartel and he shrugged it off like he never even went. Ziva would be damned if she let him go for two days for him to come back and talking about nothing.

"That seems hard to believe." She huffed. Her only response was an eye roll and he was out of his chair again.

"Come watch a movie with me." He suggested, disappearing into the living room. It was shocking how easily he ignored her so well and changed the subject so swiftly.

She sighed loudly, hopefully loud enough for him to hear. Ziva cleaned up her dishes and put Tony's untouched food into the fridge. She met him at the couch and snuggled up next to him. Tony threw his arm around her and kissed her forehead before pressing play.


End file.
